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FTA Activities that Promote Environmental Sustainability
The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) manages $10 billion annually in federal funds. These funds support locally planned, constructed, and operated public transportation systems, which can have multiple environmental benefits to the communities they serve and the nation as a whole. In addition to supporting public transportation as a whole, FTA grant, research, and technical assistance programs assist state and local governments in providing environmentally sustainable transportation solutions.
Grant Programs
FTA’s grant programs support purchases of fuel efficient and alternative fuel transit vehicles. For example, in 2006, FTA funded the purchase of 262 hybrid electric, 178 biodiesel, and 587 compressed natural gas transit vehicles. [More]
Research and Promotion of Innovation
FTA’s research program supports the development and refinement of energy efficient technologies and alternative fuels. FTA focuses on improving fuel cell, electric, and hybrid electric bus propulsion technologies and demonstrating the feasibility of their incorporation in transit vehicles. These technologies provide energy and emissions benefits compared with conventional diesel buses. [More]
Technical Assistance
FTA offers technical assistance in several areas related to sustainability. These areas include transportation planning, transit-oriented development and joint development, and Environmental Management Systems (EMS) [More]
U.S. Department of Transportation Center for Climate Change and Environmental Forecasting
Through strategic research, policy analysis, partnerships and outreach, the Center creates comprehensive and multi-modal approaches to reduce transportation-related greenhouse gases and to mitigate the effects of global climate change on the transportation network. FTA contributes funding and staff resources to the Center. More at http://www.climate.dot.gov/
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